3 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

This thread is for discussion of our time in Charlotte, including riding the LYNX light rail, and any other activities together.

[KevinKorell]

Well the report threads are moving right along as we do through our itinerary. Three days are down, and three to go. Except for sleeping and getting ourselves to our train tomorrow, we're already done with this city. We had a little wait for our hotel shuttle van, and then a quick ride to the two adjacent hotels where most of us are staying. After about an hour & change to check-in and freshen up, we left for our official light rail trips. We first went north to 7th Street, and then returned on the same vehicle, doing the entire line from north to south. Chris, who is staying at a hotel in the Woodlawn area, joined us at that station. We had a peak of 8 people on this run. At the end of the line, Steve and I left to have dinner in the area of South Blvd./I-485. A last minute decision steered us away from Golden Corral and to another chain restaurant. After we ate, we returned north, made one intermediate stop to visit a Radio Shack, and then returned Uptown to the hotel. The majority of the group returned direction Uptown on the same vehicle once more, and ate in a chain seafood restaurant in the heart of the city. We will lose Bill, who is flying home from here, but the rest will now catch a very early northbound Carolinian in the morning.

[KevinKorell]

We've left Charlotte behind after our 16 hours in town. The remaining 8 were transported by hotel van to the Amtrak station with plenty of time to spare.

[BillMagee]

The Charlotte fest activities started with the Lynx light rail ride. I walked from the hotel to the 3rd / Convention Center station and bought my ticket. The rest of the group arrived shortly from their hotels, got their tickets (with some angst), and we headed off to ride the 9.6-mile out and back, single-line system. The Lynx is similar to other recent light rail systems. To answer a question raised during the ride, the catenary is 780V DC. It is well patronized, seems well run, and is clean and comfortable. At the far end, two of the group got off to have dinner in the burbs, and the rest of us made a cross-platform change to the next departing train (thanks to a Lynx guy for tipping us off about that) and rode back Uptown for dinner at McCormick & Schmick’s. The light rail ride was, well, a light rail ride: nice, but nothing memorable. Dinner was great, made more so by the company and conversation. I certainly appreciated the group being there with me. After dinner, we headed off to our respective hotels, and for me, the Fest was over.